Saturday, December 21, 2013

Was Faytene ahead of the curve?

Posted at Bene Diction Blogs On Dec 20. 2013
The Dec. 20 Supreme Court of Canada decision striking down several Canadian laws regulating how prostitution operates in Canada would certainly be dismaying to some Canadian social conservatives. But they must recognize that they were warned that something like this could happen.
Although lawmakers are allowed a year to try again with new laws, you could expect what happened with the 1980s SCOC decision to happen again: For whatever reason no replacement laws regarding abortion were passed, and it would very tempting now for legislators to reason that the courts have spoken ans throw up their hands.
But there is an aspect about this case, and others potentially like this, that could cause both "sides" of this issue to suspect that their friends in Ottawa are asleep at the switch.
But activist and evangelist Faytene Grasseschi, to her credit, did warn Christians to pay attention to the courts, advice that holds to those supporting, and opposing, her conservative political views.
Back in 2011, in one of her newsletters to supporters and friends, Faytene made point of urging people to pray that "righteous judges" be appointed to office, addressing the issue with urgency. Moreover, in the post I wrote on this at that time noted the concerns of author Philip Slayton that judges seemed to him to be out of control sometimes. I also noted an observation by a journalist that the next Prime Minster, Mr. Harper, was in a position to profoundly shape the nation's courts through their judicial appointments advice. Details are in that post, if you are interested.
Cue forward to the recent ruling. A 9-0 ruling by the court would imply that Harper had not been appointing justices who believed in using laws to reinforce a practical form of conservative morality to the court. Endorsers of Faytene's point of view were likely displeased by the ruling.
Therefore, those who believe contrary to how the court seems to have ruled were perhaps not praying and working on the issue as Faytene prudently advised them to.
Or perhaps those Christians who would be pleased by the ruling in effect did take Faytene's prayer and working counsel. i don't know.
One thing seems clear. Canadian Christians seem content to just sit by and do things like read in their paper that the Supreme Court of Canada has made this ruling without trying to do something small about the possibility about such a ruling happening. [Had the ruling been different, the shoe would be on the other foot, yet the lessons would still apply.
We don't necessarily need American-style courts, be we need to be watchful and try not to let things "just happen" to us in the courts. On that Christians of the right and left should agree.